Behind Brooks, Saints’ Outlook Gets Peachier

The New Orleans Saints are on the verge of making the NFL playoffs, and a 24-year-old quarterback whose last postseason experience was in the Peach Bowl is leading the march.

Aaron Brooks, making only his fourth NFL start, completed 24 of 35 passes for 285 yards Sunday, leading the Saints to a 23-7 victory over Atlanta and a step closer to the fifth playoff berth in their 34-year history.

“The main thing going through my mind was to stay focused, be consistent in what we are doing, run the offense and keep the team out of bad plays,” Brooks said. “If we do those things, we pretty much ensure a victory, and we did a lot of those things.”

The Saints (10-5), who last had a winning season in 1992, all but locked up the playoff spot. Only a tie by the St. Louis Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tonight could prevent them from clinching.

“I don’t know of too many teams that go 3-13, then have won 10 games to this point this season,” Saint Coach Jim Haslett said. “The way these guys have stuck together and really become a family, the way they feed off one another, that’s the biggest thing I’m proud of.”

The Saints are 7-0 against NFC West foes--having swept the Carolina Panthers, San Francisco 49ers and Falcons--with only the Rams standing in the way of a sweep of the division. New Orleans and St. Louis close out the season Sunday in what could be a showdown for first place.

The Falcons (3-12) had not lost to the Saints in the Superdome in five years, and had lost by 10 or more points there only four other times since the Dome was built 25 years ago.

Brooks, alternately looking like a green rookie and a seasoned pro, escaped pressure time after time and kept drives going with long completions. He was sacked only once.

New Orleans missed two scoring opportunities when Brooks fumbled a handoff to Terry Allen on the one, and when Daryl Terrell, on a tackle-eligible play, bobbled a catch in the end zone.

“People don’t give us any respect,” said Saint receiver Joe Horn, who had seven catches for 116 yards. “But we’re not the New Orleans Saints anymore. We’re the new New Orleans Saints and people can’t just roll in here and roll out with a win.”

The Saints held the Falcons to 64 yards rushing and 163 yards in total offense, and the defense scored New Orleans’ first touchdown in the second quarter when safety Sammy Knight intercepted Doug Johnson’s pass and returned it 31 yards.

The Saints got inside the Atlanta five twice in the first quarter, when they outgained Atlanta, 124-0, but were unable to get into the end zone.

But Knight’s interception return and field goals of 20 and 46 yards by Doug Brien in the second quarter made it 13-0 at halftime. Brien also kicked a 47-yarder in the fourth quarter.